圣经-旧约天主教思高圣经)

http://www.tianzhujiao.org/bible

Chinese-English Bible http://www.6art.net/sj

不认识圣经,就是不认识基督,不认识基督,就是不认识基督所建立的天主教会。

 

旧约·厄斯德拉下

 13:

 

第一章(11)

归国后惨状
1:1 哈加里雅的儿子乃赫米雅的言行录:在第二十年「基色娄」月,我在稣撒禁城时,
1:2 有我的一个兄弟哈纳尼,和几个人由犹大上来,我问及他们,关于那些由充军回国的犹太遗民,和耶路撒冷的情形;
1:3 他们回答我说:「由充军回国的那些遗民,在省里遭大难,受污辱;耶路撒冷城垣坍塌,城门为火焚毁。」

乃赫米雅的哀祷
1:4 我一听说这些事,就坐下涕哭,悲痛了几天,同时也在上主天主前,禁食祈祷,
1:5 说:「唉!上主,天上的天主!伟大可畏的天主!那对爱你和守你诫命的人,履行信约,施行慈爱的,
1:6 求你侧耳,求你睁眼,俯听你仆人的祈祷,即我现今在你面前,日夜为你的仆人以色列子民所行的祈祷。我承认以色列子民对你所犯的罪过,因为我和我父家都犯了罪。
1:7 我们的确作恶得罪了你,没有遵守你吩咐你的仆人梅瑟,所立定的诫命、律令和典章。
1:8 求你记忆你向你的仆人梅瑟所吩咐的话说:如果你们不忠实,我要将你们分散在万民之中;
1:9 但如果你们又回心归向我,遵守履行我的诫命,即便你们分散到天涯地角,我也要从那里,将你们聚集起来,领你们到我所选,为作我名居所的地方去??
10 他们都是你的仆人,你的人民,是你用强力和大能的手,所拯救出来的。
1:11 我主,求你侧耳俯听你仆人的祈祷,倾听这些喜爱敬畏你名的仆人的祈祷!求你今天使你的仆人顺利,使他在那人前获得宠遇。」我当时是君王的酒政。

 

 

第二章(20)

王允所请
2:1
在阿塔薛西斯王二十年「尼散」月,轮到我掌酒时,我拿起酒来,献给国王。我不愿在王面前现出忧愁,
2:2 王却问我说:「你不像有病,为什么面带愁容﹖没有别的,你心中一定有愁事!」我很是惊慌,
2:3 便向君王说:「大王万岁!我祖先坟墓所在的城池,成了废墟,城门为火焚毁,我怎能不面带愁容呢﹖」
2:4 王问我说:「你要求什么﹖」我向天上的天主祈祷之后,
2:5 回答君王说:「大王若看着好,你仆人在你面前若获得宠遇,就打发我回犹大去,到我祖先坟墓所在的城去,重修那城。」
2:6 那时,皇后也在旁坐着;王便向我说:「你旅行需要多久﹖你几时能回来﹖」我向君王说了一个时期;王以为好,就准许我去。
2:7 我又向王说:「大王若看着好,请赐我一诏书,通知河西州长放我通行,直到犹大;
2:8 另一诏书,通知护守王家园林的阿撒夫,令他给我木料,为做圣殿堡垒的门户、城墙和我要住的房舍之用。」赖我的天主慈善的手扶助我,君王都赐给了我。

回国呈递诏书
2:9
我一来到河西州长那里,便向他们呈上君王的诏书。同时君王还派了队长和马兵协助我。
2:10 曷龙人桑巴拉特和作臣仆的阿孟人托彼雅,听说此事,很不高兴有人来为以色列子民谋图福利。

夜间巡视城垣
2:11
我到了耶路撒冷,在那里停留了三天之后,
2:12 夜间,我和跟随我的几个人起来;当时我并没有告诉任何人,有关我的天主激发我的心,要为耶路撒冷所作的事;除了我骑的一头牲口外,也没有别的牲口。
2:13 夜间我出来,经过谷门到了龙泉前,又到了粪门,观察耶路撒冷城墙那里有缺口,并见城门已被火焚毁。
2:14 以后,又到了泉门,到了王池,但那地方不能骑我的牲口过去,
2:15 遂在夜间,由山涧攀登而上,视察了城垣,然后转身,由谷门进来,回了家。

决议重修城垣
2:16
我到过那里,或作什么,官员都不知道;直到此时,我也没有告诉过犹太人、司祭、权贵、官员和其它工作人员。
2:17 于是我向他们说:「你们都清楚我们所处的苦境:耶路撒冷成了废墟,城门为火焚毁。来,让我们重修耶路撒冷的城垣,免得再受人耻笑!」
2:18 随后,我又向他们报告:我的天主慈善的手怎样扶助了我,以及君王向我说过什么话。他们遂说道:「起来,大家一同修建!」众人勇气倍增,遂着手进行。

初遇阻难
2:19 当曷龙人桑巴拉特、作臣仆的阿孟人托彼雅,和阿剌伯人革笙听说这事,就讥笑我们,侮辱我们说:「你们在那里干什么﹖要背叛君王吗﹖」
2:20 我答复他们说:「天上的天主必要使我们成功;我们是他的仆役,要动工兴建;至于你们,在耶路撒冷无分无权,也无可留念的事物。」

 

 

三章(38)

修建北垣
3:1
大司祭厄肋雅史布和他的弟兄司祭们动工,修建羊门;上了门框,安装了门、插关和门闩,一直修到默阿堡,又修到哈纳乃耳堡。
3:2 在他们旁边,有耶里哥人修理;在他们旁边,有依默黎的儿子匝雇尔修建。
3:3 色纳阿的子孙修建鱼门;他们上了门框,安装了门、插关和门闩;
3:4 在他们旁边,有哈科兹的孙子,乌黎雅的儿子默勒摩特修理;在他旁边,有默舍匝贝耳的孙子,贝勒革雅的儿子默叔蓝修理;在他旁边,有巴阿纳的儿子匝多克修理;
3:5 在他旁边,有特科亚人修理,但是他们中有权势的人,在这工程上,不肯服从主管人。

西北垣
3:6
帕色亚的儿子约雅达和贝索德雅的儿子默叔蓝,修理新市区的城门;他们上了门框,安装了门、插关和门闩。
3:7 靠着他们,有基贝红人默拉提雅和默洛诺特人雅冬,以及基贝红人和米兹帕人修理,经费出自河西州长。
3:8 在他们旁边,有金业工会的会员乌齐耳修理;在他旁边,有制药工会的哈纳尼雅修理;他们修理耶路撒冷城墙,直至广场。
3:9 在他们旁边,有胡尔的儿子勒法雅修理,他是耶路撒冷半市区的区长。
3:10 在他旁边,有哈鲁玛夫的儿子耶达雅,对着自己的房子修理;在他旁边,有哈沙贝乃雅的儿子哈突士修理。
3:11 哈陵的儿子玛耳基雅和帕哈特摩阿布的儿子哈叔布,修理下一段,直到炉堡。
3:12 在他们旁边,有哈罗赫士的儿子,耶路撒冷另一半市区的区长沙隆,和他的女儿们一起修理。

西垣与南垣
3:13
哈农和匝诺亚的居民修理谷门,他们修起来,安上了门、插关和门闩,又修了一千肘长的墙,直到粪门。
3:14 勒加布的儿子贝特革楞区的区长玛耳基雅,和他的儿子们修理了粪门,安装了门、插关和门闩。

东南垣
3:15
苛耳曷则的儿子,即米兹帕区的区长沙隆,修理了泉门,修起来盖了顶,安装了门、插关和门闩;他又由靠近御苑的史罗亚池,修理城墙,直到由达味城下来的石级前。
3:16 其后由阿次步克的儿子,即贝特族尔半区的区长乃赫米雅修理,直到达味陵的对面,经人造持池,直到御林军营。
3:17 其后由肋未人巴尼的儿子勒洪修理;在他旁边,有刻依拉半区的区长哈沙彼雅,为自己的地区修理;
3:18 其后由他们的兄弟,赫纳达得的儿子彼奴依,即刻依拉另一半区的区长修理;
3:19 在他旁边,有耶叔亚的儿子厄则尔,即米兹帕的区长,修理另一段,即面对军械库上坡的转角。
3:20 其后由匝拜的儿子巴鲁客修理另一段,即由转角,直到大司祭厄乐雅史布的府门。
3:21 其后由哈科兹的孙子,乌黎雅的儿子莫勒摩特修理另一段,即由厄乐雅史布的府门,至厄乐雅史布家的尽头。
3:22 其后由住在耶里哥平原的司祭修理。
3:23 其后由本雅名和哈叔布,对着自己的家修理;其后由阿纳尼雅的孙子,玛阿色雅的儿子阿匝黎雅,修理自己家旁的一段;
3:24 其后由赫纳达得的儿子彼奴依修理另一段,即由阿匝黎雅家至转角。
3:25 其后由乌斋的儿子帕拉耳修理转角对面,即上王宫监狱广场上那突出的城堡;其后由帕洛士的儿子培达雅修理;
3:26 直到水门,在转向东,直到突出的城堡前的一段。
3:27 其后由特科亚人修理从突出的城堡对面,直到敖斐耳墙的另一段。

东北垣
3:28
自马门以上,司祭各对着自己的房屋修理;
3:29 其后由依默尔的儿子匝多克,对着自己的房屋修理;其后由舍加尼雅的儿子舍玛雅,及东门的守卫修理;
3:30 其后由舍肋米雅的儿子哈纳尼雅,和匝拉弗的第六子哈农修理另一段;其后由贝勒革雅的儿子默叔蓝,对着自己的住宅修理;
3:31 其后由金业公会的玛耳机雅修理直到献身者和商人的住宅,面对更门,直到角堡的一段。
3:32 由城角堡到羊门中间的一段,归金匠和商人修理。

敌人的仇视
3:33
桑巴拉特一听说我们重修城垣,就大发忿怒,十分生气,讥讽犹太人,
3:34 向他们的同僚即撒玛黎雅的军队说:「这些可怜的犹太人想作什么﹖他们想要修筑城垣吗﹖想要献祭吗﹖想要在一天内完成吗﹖想从那堆灰土中,在立起那些烧过的石头来吗﹖」
3:35 阿孟托人托彼雅也在旁说到:「让他们修罢!就是上去一只野狗,也能推翻他们修的石墙。」

乃赫米雅的祈祷
3:36
我们的天主,请听!我们是怎样受侮辱!请把这辱骂归到他们的头上,使他们在流亡之地受迫害。
3:37 不要遮掩他们的罪行,他们的罪孽也不应从你面前抹去,因为他们实在侮辱了修建的人。
3:38 我们仍继续修建城墙,把整个城墙都联结起来,高底已到一半,因为民众都有心火工作。

 

 

第四章(17)

内忧外患
4:1
当桑巴拉特和托彼雅,以及阿剌伯人、阿孟人和阿市多得人,听说耶路撒冷城垣正在进行修建中,缺口已开始修补,就大发忿怒,
4:2 都联合起来,图谋来攻打耶路撒冷,扰乱我们。
4:3 我们一面祈求我们的天主,一面派了卫队,日夜防守。
4:4 有一个犹太人说:「运夫的力量已耗尽,积土又太多,我们不能再修建城墙了!」
4:5 我们的仇敌已议决说:「不让他们知道,不让他们看出,我们直冲入他们中间,将他们杀掉,停止那工程。」

加倍严防
4:6
那时,有些靠近他们居住的犹太人,十次前来通知我们说:「他们由所住的各方上来,攻打我们,
4:7 已在城墙下低处的田野中安了营。」我就按照家族分派了人,带上刀枪和弓。
4:8 我巡视之后,就起来对权贵、长官和其余的人民说:「对他们,你们不可畏缩!要记住吾主是伟大而可畏的;应为你们的兄弟、儿女、妻子、家庭而作战。」
4:9 我们的敌人一听说我们得了情报,同时天主也破坏了他们的阴谋,他们遂都撤退;我们也都回到城墙那里,各返自己的工作岗位。
4:10 从那天起,我的仆人一半做工,一半佩带着刀、矛盾、弓和铠甲,立在全犹大家后边,
4:11 即在城墙作工的人后边。那些搬运的人,也都武装起来:一手作工,一手拿着武器;
4:12 修墙的工人,每人腰间都配着刀工作。吹号筒的站在我身旁。
4:13 我向权贵、长官和其余的人民说:「这工程范围很大,我们在城墙上彼此分离甚远,
4:14 所以你们无论在什么地方,一听到号声,就立时聚集在我们身旁;我们的天主必为我们战斗。」
4:15 我们便这样继续工作,由旭日初升,直到星辰出现。
4:16 同时我又吩咐民众说:「每人和他的仆人,应在耶路撒冷过夜。如此在夜间可为我们守卫,白天可以工作。」
4:17 至于我和我的兄弟,以及我的仆人和跟随我、护卫我的人,没有一人脱过衣服,各人手中常拿着武器。

 

 

第五章(19)

穷人的控诉
5:1
那时,在人民和他们的妇女中,发生了喊冤的大声音,控告自己的犹太同胞。
5:2 有人喊说:「我们应以我们的儿女作质,换取食粮,吃饭生活。」
5:3 另有人喊说:「我们必须典当我们的田地、葡萄园和房屋,为在饥荒之中获得食粮。」
5:4 还有人喊说:「我们应抵押我们的田地和葡萄园,去借钱给王纳税。
5:5 然而我们的肉体与我们同胞的肉体一样,我们的孩子与他们的孩子也相同,但我们必须叫我们的儿女去作奴婢,且有些女儿已做了奴婢;我们现下一无所能,因为我们的田地和葡萄园,已属于别人。」

处理案件
5:6
我一听了他们的哀诉和这样的话,很是悲愤。
5:7 我考虑之后,遂谴责那些权贵和长官,向他们说:「你们每人竟向告自己的同胞索取重利。」为谴责他们,我召集了大会,
5:8 向他们说:「我们已费尽力量,赎回来了那些被卖给异民作奴隶的犹太同胞,难道你们又要卖你们的同胞,叫我们赎回来吗﹖」他们不出声,也不知如何回答。
5:9 我接着说:「你们作的这事实在不对!为避免异民-我们仇敌的辱骂,你们岂不应怀着敬畏我们天主的心行事吗﹖
5:10 我和我的兄弟以及我的仆人,也都借给了他们银钱和食粮。好罢!我们都免除他们这债务罢!
5:11 今天就应当归还他们的田地、葡萄园、橄榄园和房屋,并归还由借给他们的银钱、食粮、酒、油所获得的重利。」
5:12 他们答说:「我们都归还给他们,不向他们索求什么;你怎么说;我们就怎么行。」接着我叫了司祭来,令那些人起誓,按这话去行。
5:13 我又拂拭衣襟说道:「愿天主把一切不守这诺言的人,由他的房舍和他的财产中如此拂拭下去,直到将他拂拭净尽。」全会众都答说:「阿们。」同时又称颂了上主。人民都履行了诺言。

乃赫米雅的清廉
5:14
此外,自从我被任命为犹大省长之日起,即自阿塔薛西斯王二十年至三十二年,十二年之久,我和我的兄弟从未食过省长的俸禄。
5:15 但是,在我以先的前任省长,苛待民众,每天由民众取四十「协刻耳」银子,作为俸禄,并且他们的臣仆还压迫民众;而我因敬畏天主,并未如此行事。
5:16 虽然我也从事修建城垣的工程,但并未购置过田产;我的仆人也都聚集在那里工作。
5:17 有一百五十个犹太人和官员,在我那里吃饭,还有从我们四周异民中,来到我们这里的人。
5:18 每一天应备办一头牛,六只肥羊和各种飞禽,这些都由我负担;每天又要备置大量的酒;虽然如此,我仍未索求省长的俸禄,服役的事已为这民众够重的了。
5:19 我的天主!请记念我!记念我为这民众所行的一切,使我蒙福。

 

 

第六章(19)

陷害乃赫米雅的阴谋
6:1
当桑巴拉特、托彼雅、阿剌伯人革笙和我们其它的仇敌,一听说我重修了城墙,已没有破口的地方,──虽然到那时,我还没有在门上按装门扇,──
6:2 桑巴拉特和革笙,便派人到我这里说:「请来,我们在敖诺平原的一个村镇中会晤。」其实他们是企图谋害我。
6:3 我遂派使者去答复他们说:「我作的工程浩大,不能前去。我怎能离开工作,到你们那里去,而使工程停顿呢﹖」
6:4 他们如此连续四次,遣使者到我这里,我也同样答复了他们。
6:5 随后,桑巴拉特第五次,又同样打发他的臣仆来,手中拿着一封未封的信,
6:6 信上写着说:「在各民族中传说,而且革笙也证实此说:你和犹太人图谋造反,为此你才重修城墙;据说你还要为王。
6:7 并且你派定了先知,在耶路撒冷为你宣传说:犹大有了王!现今这些话势必传到君王那里,所以请你来,我们互相商议商议。」
6:8 我遂派遣使者向他说:「决没有像你所说的那些事,是你心中虚构的。」
6:9 其实,他们是企图恐吓我们,心想:「如此他们必放弃那工程,不在工作下去。」但我的力量更坚强了。

假先知的阴谋
6:10
有一天,我来到默塔贝耳的孙子,德拉雅的儿子舍玛雅的家里,他正闭门在家,对我说:「我们上天主的殿,到圣所里去会晤,关好圣所的门户,因为他们要来杀你,且今夜要来杀你。」
6:11 我答说:「像我这样的人,能逃避到圣所中,保全生命吗﹖我决不进去!」
6:12 我觉察出来,不是天主打发他向我讲这预言,而是托彼雅和桑巴拉特贿赂了他,
6:13 要他恐吓我,使我那样去作犯罪的事,如此给他们留下一种坏名誉,好借以辱骂我。
6:14 我的天主!请你按照托彼雅和桑巴拉特之所行,记忆他们!也不要忘却诺阿狄雅女先知和其余的先知,因为他们企图使我恐惧。

城墙筑成
6:15
「厄路耳」月二十五日,城垣完成,共计为时五十二日。
6:16 我们所有的仇敌一听说这事,我们四周的人民一看见这事,都十分惊异,并承认这工程,是赖我们的天主而完成的。

通敌的犹太权贵
6:17
在此期间,犹大有些有权势的人,给托彼雅寄了许多函件,托彼雅也有复函寄回。
6:18 因为犹大有许多人,与他宣示为盟,因他原是阿辣黑的儿子,舍加尼亚的女婿,他的儿子约哈南,又取了贝勒革雅的儿子默叔蓝的女儿为妻。
6:19 他们常在我面前称道他的善行,也将我的事向他报告,托彼雅遂来信恐吓我。

 

 

第七章(72)

委任城防守卫
7:1
当城垣修好之后,我安了门扇,遂委派了守门丁、歌咏员和肋未人。
7:2 以后,我委派了我的兄弟哈纳尼,和堡垒长哈纳尼雅,管理耶路撒冷,因为哈纳尼雅是一个可信赖、敬畏天主出众的人。
7:3 我命他们说:「耶路撒冷的门,不到太阳发暖不准开;太阳还未落时,就要关门上闩!守卫当由耶路撒冷的居民中指派,各按自己的班次,各在自己的屋前守卫。」

计划移民京师
7:4
那时城市宽阔广大,但城中居民稀少,房舍还没有建筑。
7:5 我的天主使我立意,召集有权势的人、官长和民众,要他们来登记。我发现了一册初次由充军归来的人的族谱,上面有这样的记载:

初次归国人数名单
7:6
以下是由被掳充军返回本省的子民的人中,当初被巴比伦王拿步高,掳往巴比伦去的人中,回了耶路撒冷和犹大,各本城的人。
7:7 他们是同则鲁巴贝耳、耶叔亚、乃赫米雅、色辣雅、辣阿米雅、纳哈玛尼、摩尔德开、彼耳商、米斯帕勒特、彼革外、勒洪和巴阿纳,一起回来的。

平民数字

以色列民男子的数目如下:
7:8
帕洛士的子孙,二千一百七十二名;
7:9 舍法提雅的子孙,三百七十二名;
7:10 阿辣黑的子孙,六百五十二名;
7:11 帕哈特摩阿布的子孙,即耶叔亚和约阿布的子孙,二千八百一十八名;
7:12 厄蓝的子孙,一千二百五十四名;
7:13 匝突的子孙,八百四十五名;
7:14 匝开的子孙,七百六十名;
7:15 彼奴依的子孙,六百四十八名;
7:16 贝拜的子孙,六百二十八名;
7:17 阿次加德的子孙,二千三百二十二名;
7:18 阿多尼干的子孙,六百六十七名;
7:19 彼革外的子孙,二千零六十七名;
7:20 阿丁的子孙,六百五十五名;
7:21 阿特尔的子孙,即希则克雅的子孙,九十八名;
7:22 哈雄的子孙,三百二十八名;
7:23 贝宰的子孙,三百二十四名;
7:24 哈黎夫的子孙,一百一十二名;
7:25 基贝红的子孙,九十五名;
7:26 白冷人和纳托法人,共一百八十八名;
7:27 阿纳托特人,一百二十八名;
7:28 贝特阿次玛委特人,四十二名;
7:29 克黎雅特耶阿陵人、革非辣人和贝厄洛特人,共七百四十三名;
7:30 辣玛人和革巴人,共六百二十一名;
7:31 米革玛斯人,一百二十二名;
7:32 贝特耳和哈依人,共一百二十三名;
7:33 乃波人,五十二名;
7:34 另一厄蓝的子孙,一千二百五十四名;
7:35 哈陵的子孙,三百二十名;
7:36 耶里哥人,三百五十四名;
7:37 罗得人、哈狄得人和敖诺人,共七百二十一名;
7:38 色纳阿人,三千九百三十名。

司祭人数
7:39
司祭:有耶达雅的子孙,即耶叔亚的家族,九百七十三名;
7:40 依默尔的子孙,一千零五十二名;
7:41 帕市胡尔的子孙,一千二百四十七名;
7:42 哈陵的子孙,一千零一十七名。

肋未人数
7:43
肋未人:曷达委雅的后裔,耶叔亚和卡德米耳的子孙,七十四名。
7:44 歌咏员:阿撒夫的子孙,一百四十八名。
7:45 门丁有沙隆的子孙,阿特尔的子孙,塔耳孟的子孙,阿谷布的子孙,哈提达的子孙,勺拜的子孙,共一百三十八名。

献身者
7:46
献身者:有漆哈的子孙,哈稣法的子孙,塔巴敖特的子孙,
7:47 刻洛斯的子孙,息阿的子孙,帕冬的子孙,
7:48 肋巴纳的子孙,哈加巴的子孙,沙耳麦的子孙,
7:49 哈南的子孙,基德耳的子孙,加哈尔的子孙,
7:50 勒阿雅的子孙,勒斤的子孙,乃科达的子孙,
7:51 加仓的子孙,乌匝的子孙,帕色亚的子孙,
7:52 贝赛的子孙,默乌宁的子孙,乃非心的子孙,
7:53 巴刻步克的子孙,哈谷法的子孙,哈尔胡尔的子孙,
7:54 巴兹里特的子孙,默希达的子孙,哈尔沙的子孙,
7:55 巴尔科斯的子孙,息色辣的子孙,塔玛赫的子孙,
7:56 乃漆亚的子孙和哈提法的子孙。

撒罗满的仆役
7:57
撒罗满的仆役的子孙:有索泰的子孙,索费勒特的子孙,培黎达的子孙,
7:58 雅阿拉的子孙,达尔孔的子孙,基德耳的子孙,
7:59 舍法提雅的子孙,哈提耳的子孙,颇革勒特责巴因的子孙和阿孟的子孙。
7:60 所有献身者的子孙和撒罗满的仆役的子孙,共计三百九十二名。

家世不明者
7:61
以下这些人,是由特耳默拉、特耳哈尔沙、革鲁布、阿丹和依默尔上来,而不能说出自己的家族和族系,是否出自以色列的:
7:62 德拉雅的子孙,托彼雅的子孙,和乃科达的子孙,共计六百四十二人。
7:63 司祭中:有哈巴雅的子孙,哈科兹的子孙和巴尔齐来的子孙。——巴尔齐来娶了基肋阿得人巴尔齐来的女儿为妻,也取了他的名字。
7:64 他们查考登记的族谱,却没有找到自己的名字,所以他们由司祭中被革除了。
7:65 省长指令他们,不准他们享用至圣之物,直到有位大司祭,带着乌陵和突明出来解决。

总数
7:66
全会众共计四万二千三百六十人,
7:67 仆婢七千三百三十七人在外;还有歌咏的男女二百五十四名。
7:68 此外,还有骆驼四百三十五匹,驴六千七百二十匹。

献仪
7:69
有些族长捐献了一千金「达理克,」盘子五十个,司祭长衣五百三十件,作为基金。
7:70 另一些族长纳了二万金「达理克,」二千二百银「米乃,」作为建筑的基金。
7:71 其余名众捐献的,共计二万金「塔理克,」二千银「米乃,」司祭长衣六十七件。
7:72 司祭、肋未人、门丁、歌咏员、献身者和全以色列,各住在本城内。

宣读法律书

到了七月,当时以色列子民还各在本城里。

 

第八章(18)
8:1
所有的人民,都一致聚集到水门前的广场上,要求厄斯德拉经师,拿出上主命以色列当遵守的梅瑟法律书来。
8:2 厄斯德拉司祭便在七月一日,将法律书拿到会众前,及男女和所有能听懂的人面前,
8:3 在水门前的广场上,从早晨到中午,在男女和所有能听懂的人面前,宣读了法律,所有的人民都侧耳静听法律书。
8:4 厄斯德拉经师站在为此特备的木台上,他右边站着玛提提雅、舍玛、阿纳雅、乌黎雅、希耳克雅和玛阿色雅;他左边有培达雅、米沙耳、玛耳基雅、哈雄、哈协巴达纳、则加黎雅、和默叔蓝。
8:5 厄斯德拉在众目注视下展开了书,因他高立在众人以上,他展开书时,众人都立起来。
8:6 厄斯德拉先赞颂了上主,伟大的天主,全民众举手回答说:「阿们,阿们!」以后跪下,伏首至地,钦崇上主。
8:7 肋未人耶叔亚、巴尼、舍勒彼雅、雅明、阿谷布、沙贝泰、曷狄雅、玛阿色雅、刻里达、阿匝黎雅、约匝巴得、哈南和培拉雅,为民众讲解法律,民众立在原处不动。
8:8 厄斯德拉读一段天主的法律书,及做翻译和解释,如此民众可以懂清所诵读的。

民众转忧为喜
8:9
乃赫米雅省长和厄斯德拉司祭兼经师,并教导民众的肋未人,向民众说:「今天是上主你们天主的圣日,你们不可忧愁哭泣!」因为全民众听了法律的话,都在哭泣。
8:10 为此,乃赫米雅又向他们说:「你们应该去吃肥美的肉,喝甘甜的酒,且赠送一部份,给那些没有预备的人,因为今天是吾主的圣日;你们不可忧愁,因为喜乐于上主,就是你们的力量。」
8:11 肋未人也安慰民众说:「你们要安静,因为今天是圣日,不应忧愁!」
8:12 民众遂去吃喝,且赠送一部份给他人,大家异常欢乐,因为都明白了向他们所讲的话。

举行帐棚节
8:13
第二天,全民族的族长和司祭并肋未人,都聚集在厄斯德拉经师身旁,研究法律上的话。
8:14 发现法律上记载:上主曾借梅瑟,命令以色列子民,在七月的庆节日,应住在帐棚内。
8:15 他们一听说如此,遂在各城和耶路撒冷,宣布这命令说:「你们上山去,取橄榄树的枝叶、野橄榄树的枝叶、长春树的枝叶、棕树的枝叶,和其它茂盛树的枝叶,照经上所写的,搭造帐棚。」
8:16 民众就去采了树枝来,在屋顶上,院子里,天主殿宇的庭院内,水门的广场上,和厄弗辣因广场上,搭了帐棚。
8:17 由充军回来的全会众,都搭造帐了棚,住在帐棚内;从农的儿子若苏厄之日起,直到今日,以色列没有举行过如此的盛事,大家都非常欢乐。
8:18 从第一日直到最后一日,天天宣读天主的法律书;七天之久过了庆节,第八天按规定举行了盛会。

 

 

第九章(37)

民众认罪
9:1
同月二十四日,以色列子民都聚集起来,守斋禁食,穿粗毛衣,头上顶着灰土。
9:2 以色列的苗裔,同一切外方人的子孙分开之后,便站起来,坦白承认自己的罪过。和祖先的罪恶。
9:3 他们各站在自己的地方,三小时之久,诵读他们天主的法律书;又三小时之久,承认了自己的罪过,跪拜了上主,他们的天主。
9:4 肋未人耶叔亚、彼奴依、卡德米耳、舍巴尼雅、步尼、舍勒彼雅、巴尼、和革纳尼,站在高处,大声呼号上主,他们的天主。
9:5 随后肋未人耶叔亚、卡德米耳、巴尼、哈沙彼雅、曷狄雅、舍巴尼雅、培塔希雅说道:「起来!你们应赞颂上主我们的天主,从永远直到永远!」众人便赞颂他光荣的圣名,因此名远超一切称颂和赞美。

忏悔祷词
9:6
厄斯德拉祈祷说:「唯独你是上主,是你创造了天,天上的天,和天上的一切军旅,地和地上的一切,海和海中的一切,是你使一切生存;天上的军旅常在你前跪拜。
9:7 上主,你就是那拣选亚巴郎,领他离开加色丁乌尔,给他起名叫阿贝辣罕的天主。
9:8 你见他的心对你忠实,就与他立约,把客纳罕人、赫特人、阿摩黎人、培黎齐人、耶步斯人和基尔加士人的土地,赐给了他的后裔;你履行了你的诺言,因为你是正义的。
9:9 你垂顾了我们祖先在埃及的困苦,俯听了他们在红海旁的呼声,
9:10 遂对法郎和他所有的臣仆,以及他国内所有的民众,行了奇迹异能,因为你知道,他们怎样任性傲慢地,对待了我们的祖先,因而你获得了大名,直至今日。
9:11 你在我们祖先面前,分开了海,使他们在海中干地路过,却把追赶他们的人,拋入深渊,有如把一块石头拋入怒潮。
9:12 日间你用云柱领导,夜间你用火柱光照他们所走的路。
9:13 你降临西乃山上,从天上向他们施救,赐给了他们公正的条例、真理的法律、美好的规矩及诫命;
9:14 你令他们知道,你神圣的安息日,借着你的仆人梅瑟,向他们颁布了规矩、诫命和法律。
9:15 你从天上赐下食物,给他们充饥;使岩石中流出清泉,给他们解渴;命令他们去占领,你曾举手誓许赐与他们的土地。
9:16 但是他们,我们的祖先,任性妄为,硬着脖子,不肯听从你的命令。
9:17 他们拒绝听命,忘却了你在他们中间所行的奇迹,硬着脖子,立了首领,要回到埃及去当奴隶。但你是宽大为怀,仁爱慈悲,缓于忿怒,富于慈爱的天主,并未拋弃他们;
9:18 甚至连他们铸了一个牛犊说:「这是领你出埃及的天主!」犯了亵渎的大罪时,
9:19 你因你无限的仁慈,也没有将他们拋弃在旷野中;日间在路上领导他们的云柱,夜间为他们光照道路的火柱,仍没有离开他们。
9:20 你赐下你温和的风,使他们苏醒,并没有将「玛纳」扣住,不给他们充饥,仍赐下了水为他们解渴。
9:21 四十年之久,你在旷野照顾他们,使他们一无所缺;他们的衣服没有穿破,他们的脚也没有肿胀。
9:22 你将各国和众民交给了他们,将各个角落分给了他们,他们遂占领了赫市朋王息红,和巴商王敖格的土地。
9:23 你使他们的子孙繁衍,有如天上的繁星,领他们到你誓许与他们的祖先,要去占领的土地,
9:24 他们的子孙便去占领了那地方;你使那地方的居民客纳罕人,屈服在他们面前,将他们的君王和地方上的人民,交在他们的手中,任他们随意处置。
9:25 他们攻取了坚固的城池,和肥沃的土地,夺得了满藏宝物的房舍、掘好的井、葡萄园、橄榄园和丰富的果林;他们都吃得饱满,身体肥胖,安逸享乐,这都是因你无量的慈善。
9:26 但是,他们竟抗命背叛了你,将你的法律置诸背后,杀了那些警戒他们,劝他们归顺于你的先知;他们竟犯了这亵渎的大罪,
9:27 因此你把他们交在仇人的手中,受人迫害。他们遭遇迫害时,一呼求你,你就由天上俯听了他们,照你无限的仁慈,打发救援者,由仇人手中救出他们;
9:28 然而他们一享平安,便又去做恶背叛你,因此你又把他们拋在他们敌人手中,受他们的管辖;几时他们再回心转意呼号你,你就再由天上俯听他们,照你无限的仁慈拯救他们。
9:29 你曾警告他们转向你的法律,但是他们仍恣意妄行,不听从你的命令,违反你的典章,——人若遵行,必因此而生活,——扭转倔强的肩膀,硬着脖子,不愿服从。
9:30 你多年来容忍他们借先知并以你的精神,警戒他们,但他们仍不听从,所以你将他们交在异方人民手中。
9:31 但因你无限的仁慈,你没有消灭他们,也没有拋弃他们,因为你是博爱仁慈的天主。
9:32 现在,我们的天主!遵守信约,保持仁爱,伟大、全能和可畏的天主!请不要把我们、我们的君王、我们的首长、我们的司祭、我们的先知、我们的祖先和你的全民众,从亚述王时代直到今日所遭遇的一切迫害,看作小事。
9:33 你使这一切降在我们身上,是公义的,因为你所行的是忠义,而我们所行的是邪恶。
9:34 我们的君王、我们的首领、我们的司祭和我们的祖先,实在都没有遵行你的法律,也没有听从你的命令和你警戒他们的劝告。
9:35 他们在你赐给他们的国土上和许多幸福中,在你摆在他们面前的广大而肥沃的土地上,并没有侍奉你,也没有放弃他们的恶行。
9:36 我们今天竟成了奴隶!看,我们在你赏给我们祖先吃那里的果实和出产的土地上,作了奴隶!
9:37 为了我们的罪过,那丰富的出产归于你派定来管辖我们的君王,他们随意处置了我们的肉体和我们的牲畜;我们实在是处在极大的困苦中!」

 

 

第十章(40)

立盟签约
10:1
鉴于这一切,我们立了盟约,也写了出来;我们的族长、我们的肋未人和司祭,也在上面盖了印。
10:2 在上面盖印的,先是哈加里雅的儿子乃赫米雅省长,后为漆德克雅、
10:3 色辣雅、阿匝黎雅、耶勒米雅、
10:4 帕市胡尔、阿玛黎雅、玛耳基雅、
10:5 哈突士、舍巴尼雅、玛路客、
10:6 哈陵、默勒摩特、敖巴狄雅、
10:7 达尼耳、金乃通、巴鲁克、
10:8 默叔蓝、阿彼雅、米雅明、
10:9 玛阿齐雅、彼耳盖、舍玛雅:以上都是司祭。
10:10 以下是肋未人:阿匝尼雅的儿子耶叔亚、彼奴依,赫纳达得的子孙卡德米耳,
10:11 和他们的族人:舍巴尼雅、曷狄雅、刻里达、培拉雅、哈南、
10:12 米加、勒曷布、哈沙彼雅、
10:13 匝雇尔、舍勒彼雅、舍巴尼雅、
10:14 曷狄雅、巴尼、贝尼奴。
10:15 民众的首领:帕洛市、帕哈特摩阿布、厄蓝、匝突、巴尼、
10:16 步尼、阿次加得、贝拜、
10:17 阿多尼雅、彼革外、阿丁、
10:18 阿特尔、希则克雅、阿组尔、
10:19 曷狄雅、哈雄、贝宰、
10:20 哈黎布、阿纳托特、乃拜、
10:21 玛革丕阿士、默叔蓝、赫齐尔默、
10:22 舍匝贝耳、匝多克、雅杜亚、
10:23 培拉提雅、哈南、阿纳雅、
10:24 曷舍雅、哈纳尼雅、哈叔布、
10:25 哈罗赫士、丕耳哈、芍贝克、
10:26 勒洪、哈沙贝纳、玛阿色雅、
10:27 阿希雅、哈南、阿南、
10:28 玛路客、哈陵、巴阿纳。

盟约撮要
10:29 其余的民众、司祭、肋未人、门丁、歌咏员、献身者,和所有脱离各地人民而来归奉天主法律的人,连同他们的妻子儿女,及凡有知识能懂事的人,
10:30 都支持他们为首领的同胞,起咒宣示,必按天主的法律去行,就是遵行天主的仆人梅瑟所颁布的法律,并遵守履行上主我们的天主的一切命令、规矩和制度;
10:31 决不将我们的女儿嫁给外方人民,也不为我们的儿子娶他们的女儿。
10:32 外方人民若是在安息日,运货物或各种食粮来贩卖,我们在安息日或圣日,决不向他们购买什么;每七年停止耕种,豁免一切债务。
10:33 我们又为自己定下规矩,每年要缴纳三分之一「协刻耳,」作为我们天主殿中祭祀之用:
10:34 备办供饼、恒常祭品、全燔祭品,安息日、月朔和庆节应献的祭品和各种祭物,为以色列赎罪的赎罪祭品,以及我们天主殿内的一切工作费用。
10:35 我们司祭、肋未人和人民,拈阄规定,按照家族,每年照一定的时间,我们天主的圣殿献纳木柴,放在上主我们的天主的祭坛上燃烧,如法律上所记载的;
10:36 又当把田地的初熟之物,以及各种树木的初熟鲜果,每年献于上主圣殿;
10:37 按照法律所载,将我们的儿子和家畜中的首生者,以及我们牛羊中的首生者,献于我们天主的圣殿,交给我们在天主殿内奉职的司祭;
10:38 把我们初熟的粗面饼、祭品、各种树木的果实、新酒和油,交给司祭,送到我们天主圣殿的廊房里;将我们田地出产的十分之一,送给肋未人,肋未人应亲自在各城镇,征收我们劳作的十分之一。
10:39 当肋未人征收十分之一时,亚郎子孙中的一个司祭,应与肋未人在一起;肋未人应将所得什一中的十分之一,献于我们的天主圣殿,交入圣殿廊房的宝库,
10:40 因为以色列子民和肋未的子孙,应把所献的五谷、酒和油,送到廊房内,圣所的器具存在那里,奉职的司祭,守门丁和歌咏员也住在那里,对们天主的圣殿,再也不敢怠慢。

 

 

第十一章(36)

移民京师
11:1
那时,人民的首长住在耶路撒冷;其余的人民都拈阄,抽出十分之一的人民,迁移到耶路撒冷圣城居住,其余九分仍留在自己的城内。
11:2 民众都称赞那些自愿迁居到耶路撒冷的人。
11:3 以下是住在耶路撒冷的本省族长;其余的以色列人、司祭、肋未人、献身者和撒罗满仆役的子孙,在犹大各城中,个人住在本城内自己的产业中。

移来的犹大族长
11:4
有些犹大的子孙和本雅明的子孙,住在耶路撒冷。犹大的子孙:培勒兹的子孙,有乌齐雅的儿子阿塔雅;乌齐雅是则加黎雅的儿子,则加黎雅是阿玛黎雅的儿子,阿玛黎雅是舍法提雅的儿子,舍法提雅是玛拉肋耳的儿子;
11:5 舍拉的子孙,有巴路客的儿子玛阿色雅;巴路客是苛耳曷则的儿子,苛耳曷则是哈匝雅的儿子,哈匝雅是阿达雅的儿子,阿达雅是约雅黎布的儿子,约雅黎布是则加黎雅的儿子。
11:6 培勒兹的子孙住在耶路撒冷的,共计四百六十八人,都是成人。

本雅明的族长
11:7
本雅明的子孙有撒路,他是默叔蓝的儿子,默叔蓝是约厄得的儿子,约厄得是科拉雅的儿子,科拉雅是玛阿色雅的儿子,玛阿色雅是依提耳的儿子,依提耳是耶沙雅的儿子,
11:8 撒路的族人,共计二十八人,都是成人。
11:9 齐革黎的儿子约厄耳,作他们的首长;色奴阿的儿子犹达为副市长。

司祭
11:10
司祭中有耶达雅、约雅黎布、雅津,
11:11 天主圣殿的总管色辣雅,他是希耳克雅的儿子,希耳克雅是默叔蓝的儿子,默叔蓝是匝多克的儿子,匝多克是默辣约特的儿子,默辣约特是阿希突布的儿子;
11:12 和他们在圣殿服务的兄弟,共计八百二十二人;还有耶洛罕的儿子,阿达雅;耶洛罕是培拉里雅的儿子,培拉里雅是阿默漆的儿子,阿默漆是则加黎雅的儿子,则加黎雅是帕市胡尔的儿子,帕市胡尔是玛耳基雅的儿子,
11:13 和他做族长的兄弟共计二百四十二人;还有阿匝勒耳的儿子阿玛赛;阿匝勒耳是阿赫斋的儿子,阿赫斋是默史勒米特的儿子,默史勒米特是依默尔的儿子,
11:14 和他的兄弟都是成人,共计一百二十八人;管理他们的是,哈加多耳的儿子匝贝狄耳。

肋未人
11:15
肋未人中,有哈叔布的儿子舍玛雅;哈叔布是阿次黎冈的儿子,阿次黎冈是哈沙彼雅的儿子,哈沙彼雅是步尼的儿子;
11:16 沙贝泰和约匝巴得,作肋未人之长,管理天主圣殿的外务。
11:17 还有米加的儿子玛塔尼雅;米加是匝贝狄的儿子,匝贝狄是阿撒夫的儿子;玛塔尼雅在祈祷时,是启颂谢经文之长;巴刻步克雅在兄弟中为副;还有沙慕亚的儿子阿贝达;沙慕亚是加拉耳的儿子,加拉耳是耶杜通的儿子。
11:18 在圣城的肋未人,共计二百八十四人。

门丁及其它人员
11:19
门丁:阿谷布、塔耳孟和 和他们护守各门的兄弟,共计一百七十二人。
11:20 其余的以色列人、司祭和肋未人,住在犹大各城,占据自己的产业。
11:21 献身者住在曷斐耳区;漆哈和基市帕管理献身者。
11:22 在耶路撒冷肋未人之长,是巴尼的儿子乌齐;巴尼是哈沙彼雅的儿子,哈沙彼雅是玛塔尼雅的儿子,玛塔尼雅是米加的儿子,出自阿撒夫的子孙,都是在天主圣殿内行礼时的歌咏员。
11:23 每天给歌咏员一定的报酬,这是君王有关他们出的命令。
11:24 犹大的儿子则辣黑的子孙中,有默舍匝贝耳的儿子培塔希雅,他是王的助手,掌管人民一切事务。

犹大人的城市
11:25
至于村镇和所属地域:犹大的子孙,有些住在克黎雅特阿尔巴,和所属村镇,
11:26 住在耶叔亚、摩拉达、贝特培肋特,
11:27 住在哈匝叔阿耳、贝尔舍巴和所属村镇,
11:28 住在漆刻拉格、默苛纳和所属村镇,
11:29 住在恩黎孟、祚辣、雅尔慕特,
11:30 住在匝诺亚、阿杜蓝和所属村镇,住在拉基士和城外四郊、住在阿则卡和所属村镇。他们定居之处,是从贝尔舍巴起,直到希农山谷。

本雅明人的城市
11:31
本雅明的子孙,有些住在革巴、米革玛士、阿雅、贝特耳、和所属村镇,
11:32 住在阿诺托特、诺布、阿纳尼雅、
11:33 哈祚尔、辣玛、基塔殷、
11:34 哈狄得、责波殷、乃巴拉特、
11:35 罗得、敖诺和匠人谷。
11:36 肋未人散居在犹大和本雅明。

 

 

第十二章(47)

初次回国的司祭和肋未人
12:1
以下是同沙耳提的儿子则鲁巴贝耳和耶叔亚回来的司祭和肋未人:色辣雅、耶肋米雅、厄次辣、
12:2 阿玛黎、玛路克、哈突士、
12:3 舍加尼雅、哈陵、默勒摩特、
12:4 依多、金乃通、阿彼雅、
12:5 米雅明、玛阿狄雅、彼耳加、
12:6 舍玛雅、约雅黎布、耶达雅、
12:7 撒路、阿摩克、希耳克雅、阿达雅:这些人是耶叔亚时期中的司祭,和他们兄弟的族长。
12:8 他和他的兄弟们启唱颂谢经文。
12:9 巴刻步克雅和乌尼,以及他们的兄弟依照班次,轮流服务。

波斯帝国时代大司祭
12:10
耶叔亚生约雅金,约雅金生厄肋史布,厄肋史布生约雅达,
12:11 约雅达约哈南,约哈南生雅杜亚。

约雅金大司祭时的司祭族长
12:12
在约雅金年间,司祭作族长的:色辣雅家是默辣雅,耶勒米雅家是哈纳尼雅,
12:13 厄次辣家是默叔蓝,阿玛黎雅家是约哈南,
12:14 玛路克家是约纳堂,舍巴尼雅是约色夫,
12:15 哈陵家是阿德纳,默辣摩特家是赫耳凯,
12:16 依多家是则加雅,金厏通家是默叔蓝,
12:17 阿彼雅家是齐革黎,米尼雅明和摩阿狄雅家是丕耳泰,
12:18 彼耳家是沙慕亚,舍玛雅家是约纳堂,
12:19 约雅黎布是玛特乃,耶达雅是乌齐,
12:20 撒路家是卡来,阿克摩家是厄贝尔,
12:21 希耳克雅家是哈沙彼雅,阿达雅家是乃塔乃耳。

肋未族长
12:22
在厄肋雅史布、约雅达、约哈南和雅杜亚年间,肋未人的族长都登记了,司祭也登记了,直到波斯达理阿的朝代。
12:23 肋未人的族长也都登记在编年录上,直到厄肋雅史布的孙子约哈南时代。
12:24 肋未人的族长是哈沙彼雅。舍勒彼雅、耶亚、彼奴依和卡德米耳;他们和他们的兄弟,按天主的人达味所制定的,在唱赞美和颂谢经文时,对面站着,分班轮流歌唱。
12:25 玛塔尼雅。巴刻步克雅、敖巴狄雅、默叔蓝、塔耳孟和阿谷布,都是守门的,护守府库的门:
12:26 以上都是约匝达克的孙子,耶叔亚儿子约雅金时代和乃赫米雅省长,及厄斯德拉司祭兼经师时代的人。

城垣落成典礼
12:27
为耶路撒冷城垣举行落成典礼时,召集住在各地的肋未人,来到耶路撒冷,咏唱咏谢赞美的诗歌,弹奏弦乐琴瑟,欢乐举行这落成典礼。
12:28 肋未人的子孙歌咏员,便都由耶路撒冷四周区域,和乃托法各村庄,
12:29 由贝特基耳加耳、革巴和阿次玛委特乡间,集合前来,原是歌咏员在耶路撒冷四周,为自己建造了庄院。
12:30 司祭和肋未人圣洁了自己以后,又圣洁了民众、城门和城墙。
12:31 我叫犹大各省长登上城墙,将仪仗分为两大队:一队在城墙上向右往粪门进行,
12:32 在队后随行的,是曷沙雅和犹大的一半首长,
12:33 以及阿匝雅、厄次辣、默叔蓝、
12:34 犹达、本雅明、舍玛雅和耶勒米雅,
12:35 这些人都是司祭中吹号筒的;还有约纳堂的儿子加黎雅,──约纳堂是舍玛雅的儿子,舍玛雅是玛塔尼雅的儿子,玛塔尼雅是米加雅的儿子,米加雅是匝雇尔的儿子,匝雇尔是阿撒夫的儿子,──
12:36 以及则加黎雅的兄弟:舍玛雅、阿匝勒耳、米拉来、基拉来、玛艾、乃塔乃耳、犹达和哈纳尼,演奏天主的人达味的乐器。厄斯德拉经师走在你们的前面。
12:37 他们到了泉门之后,一直上了达味城的石级,沿着城墙斜坡,靠着达味王宫,走到东边的水门。
12:38 第二仪仗队往左边行,我在仪仗队之后,与另一半首长在城墙上,路过炉堡,直到广场的城墙,
12:39 以后,路过厄弗辣因门、鱼门、哈纳乃耳堡,直到羊门,便在更门前停住了。
12:40 这两仪仗队站在天主殿内,有一半首长同我在一起;
12:41 还有司祭厄里雅金、玛色雅、米尼雅明、米加雅、厄里约乃、则加黎雅、哈纳尼雅,他们吹着号筒;
12:42 还有玛阿色雅、舍玛雅、厄肋阿匝尔、乌齐、约哈南、玛耳基雅、厄蓝和厄则尔。歌咏员都在耶辣希雅指导下高声唱歌。
12:43 那一日祭献了很多牺牲,人们都很欢乐,因为天主使他们非常欢乐,连妇女童也都喜欢;耶路撒冷欢乐的声音闻于远方。

圣职人员供养
12:44
那时,也派定了专员,管理存放祭品、初熟之物和什一之物的仓库,将各城各乡照法律规定应交与司祭和肋未人的物品,都存放在里面,因为犹太人对尽职的司祭和肋未人都表喜悦,
12:45 因他们各尽侍奉他们的天主之职,举行取洁礼。歌咏员和守门丁,也都遵照达味和他的儿子撒罗满所制定的进行,
12:46 因为远在达味和阿撒夫时代,已有歌咏长的职务,领唱赞美并感谢天主的歌曲。
12:47 在则鲁巴贝耳和乃赫米雅年间,全以色列天天都缴纳给歌咏员和守门者丁应缴纳之物,把一部分圣物交给人,肋未人将一部分交给亚郎的子孙。

 

 

第十三章(31)

隔绝外方人
13:1
那日,当着民众宣读梅瑟书时,人们听到书中写着说:「永远不准阿孟人和摩阿布人,加入天主的会众,
13:2 因为他们没有携带饮食欢迎以色列人民,反贿赂巴郎诅咒他们,我们的天主却将诅咒转为祝福。」
13:3 民众一听了这法律,便将各外族由以色列人中隔绝。

二次返国改革
13:4
这事以前,厄肋雅史布司祭,曾被派管理我们天主圣殿的仓库,他是托彼雅的亲信,
13:5 遂为托彼雅准备了一所大仓房,以前其中是存放供物、乳香、器具、以及肋未人、歌咏员和守门丁按法律所应得的什一之谷、酒和油,并司祭所应得的供物。
13:6 发生这一切事时,我不在耶路撒冷,因为在巴比伦王阿塔薛西斯三十二年,我已回到君王那里;满了一个时期以后,我又求得君王准许,
13:7 回了耶路撒冷;此时我才发觉出,厄雅史布为托彼雅所行的坏事,为他在天主圣殿的庭院中,准备了一所大仓房。
13:8 我感觉十分难受,立即将托彼雅的一切器物,拋出仓房之外,
13:9 下命清洁那仓房,将天主圣殿的器具、供物和乳香仍放在里面。

重整什一之物
13:10
我还发觉肋未人应得之分,人们已不缴纳,为此供职的肋未人和歌咏员,各回了本乡。
13:11 我便责斥首长们说:「为什么又将肋未人召唤起来,又恢复了他们的职务。
13:12 那时,全犹大又将什一之谷、酒和油送入仓房。
13:13 我派定了舍肋米雅司祭、匝多克经师和肋未人培达雅,作管理仓房的人;委任玛塔尼雅的子孙,匝雇尔的儿子哈南,作他们的助手,都是忠实可靠的人;他们的职务是将什一之物,分给他们的兄弟。
13:14 我的天主,为了这事,请记忆我!不要抹去我对我天主的圣殿,和其中的礼仪所做的一切善事。

圣化安息日
13:15
那时我在犹大,看见有人在安息日踏榨酒池,搬运禾捆,驮在驴上,并把油、葡萄、无花果和其它各种重载,在安息日运到耶路撒冷;为了他们在这天买卖应用品,我曾警戒了他们。
13:16 有住这里的提洛人,运来了鱼和各种货物,安息日还在耶路撒冷卖给犹太人,
13:17 我遂责斥有权势的犹太人说:「你们怎么行这样的坏事,亵渎安息日呢?
13:18 你们的祖先不是曾这样行事,而使我们的天主,加给了我们和这城这一切灾祸吗﹖现今你们亵渎安息日,还要义怒再多加在以色列人身上吗﹖」
13:19 所以在安息日前一天,阴影一来到耶路撒冷城门,我就下令关闭城门,不准开门,直到安息日过去;并派我的仆役守门,安息日不准任何重载运进。
13:20 有一两次,贩夫和卖各种货物的商人,在耶路撒冷外过夜;
13:21 我警告他们说:「你们为什么在城垣前过夜﹖若是你们再这样做,我就要向你们下手,」从此以后,安息日他们不敢再来。
13:22 我也命令肋未人先圣洁自己,然后去看守城门,为圣化圣日。我的天主,为了这事也请你记忆我!照你的大仁慈怜恤我!

抑制杂婚
13:23
那时,我还发见好些犹太人,娶了阿市多得、阿孟和摩阿布人的女子为妻。
13:24 他们的儿子,有一半只会说阿市多得话,或这些民族的一种语言,而不会讲犹太话。
13:25 我遂责斥咒骂这样的男人,其中一些我还打了他们,扯了他们的头发,叫他们指着天主起誓,向他们说:「你们不可再把你们的女儿,嫁给他们的儿子,也不可为你们的儿子并为你们自己,娶他们的女儿。
13:26 以色列的君王撒罗满,岂不是在这事上犯了罪吗﹖在这样多民族中,没有一个相似他的君王,他又是天主所爱的,天主使他成为全以色列的君王,但是外方女子竟引他犯了罪。
13:27 我们岂能任凭你们行这大坏事,娶外方妇女,背弃我们的天主吗﹖」

其它的改革
13:28
大司祭厄肋雅史布的儿子约雅达,有个儿子是曷龙人桑巴拉特的女婿,我便驱逐他离开我。
13:29 我的天主,请记住他们!因为他们亵渎了司祭和肋未人的誓约。
13:30 如此我清除了一切异类,整顿了司祭和肋未人的职守,规定了各人应尽的任务,
13:31 划定了奉献木柴和初熟之物的时期。我的天主!求你记忆我,使我蒙福!

 

BOOK ENDS. Seraphim, April 2009.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 1

 

The call of Nehemiah: his mission to Judah

1:1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,[*a] when I was in the citadel of Susa,

1:2 one of my kinsmen, Hanani, arrived with some men from Judah. I asked them about the Jews-the remnant rescued from captivity-and about Jerusalem.

1:3 'Those who escaped from captivity,' they replied 'who are back there in the province, are in great trouble and humiliation: the walls of Jerusalem are in ruins and its gates burnt down.'

1:4 On hearing this I sank down and wept; for several days I mourned, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

1:5 And I said, 'Yahweh, God of heaven, great God who must be feared, maintaining covenant and kindness with those who love you and obey your commandments,

1:6 let your ear be listening, and your eyes open, to hear your servant's prayer. I am making this to you now day and night on behalf of the sons of Israel, your servants; and I confess the sins of the sons of Israel which we have committed against you: I and my father's House have sinned.

1:7 We have acted very wickedly towards you: we have not kept the commandments, laws and customs you laid down for Moses your servant.

1:8 Remember, I beg you, the charge you gave to Moses your servant: "If you prove faithless, I will scatter you among the peoples;

1:9 but if you come back to me and keep my commandments and practise them, even if your outcasts were at the very sky's end, I would gather them from there and bring them back to the place I have chosen for my name to dwell in".

1:10 Now these are your servants, your own people: you have redeemed them with your mighty power and outstretched arm.

1:11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to your servant's prayer and to the prayer of your servants who delight to reverence your name. I beg you, let your servant be successful today; make him acceptable to this man.' At that time I was cupbearer to the king.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 2

 

2:1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,[*a] the wine being my concern, I took up the wine and offered it to the king. Now I had never been downcast before.

2:2 So the king said, 'Why is your face so sad? You are not sick, surely? This must be a sadness of the heart.' A great fear came over me

2:3 and I said to the king, 'May the king live for ever! How could my face be other than sad when the city where the tombs of my ancestors are lies in ruins, and its gates have been burnt down?'

2:4 'What' the king asked 'is your request?' I called on the God of heaven

2:5 and made this reply to the king, 'If it pleases the king, and if you are satisfied with your servant, give me leave to go to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' tombs, and rebuild it'.

2:6 The king, with the queen sitting there beside him, said, 'How long will your journey take, and when will you return?' So I named a date that seemed acceptable to the king and he gave me leave to go.

2:7 I spoke to the king once more, 'If it please the king, could letters be given me for the governors of Transeuphrates to allow me to pass through to Judah?

2:8 And also a letter for Asaph, keeper of the king's park, to supply me with timber for the gates of the citadel of the Temple, for the city walls and for the house I am to occupy?' This the king granted me, for the kindly favour of my God was with me.

2:9 So I travelled to the governors of Transeuphrates, and handed them the king's letters. The king had given me an escort of army officers and cavalry.

2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite slave[*b] came to know of this, they were much displeased that anyone should come to promote the welfare of the sons of Israel.

 

The decision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem

2:11 And so I reached Jerusalem and stayed there for three days.

2:12 Then I rose in the night, with a few other men, not having told anyone what work God had inspired me to do for Jerusalem, and having no animal with me but my own mount.

2:13 At night, therefore, leaving by the Valley Gate, I went by way of the Well of the Dragon to the Dung Gate; I examined the walls of Jerusalem with their gaps and burnt-out gates.

2:14 I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but found no further path for my mount.

2:15 So I returned, in the dark, through the wadi, still examining the walls, and came in again by the Valley Gate. And so I returned

2:16 without the officials knowing where I had gone or what I was doing. So far I had said nothing to the Jews: either to the priests, the authorities, the officials or any other responsible persons.

2:17 Then I said to them, 'You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem is in ruins, its gates have been burnt down. Come, let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and suffer this indignity no longer.'

2:18 And I told them how the kindly favour of God had been with me, and also repeated the words the king had said to me. 'Let us start!' they exclaimed 'Let us build'; and with willing hands they set about the good work.

2:19 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite slave, and Geshem the Arab came to know of this, they ridiculed us, and came and asked, 'What are you doing? Are you planning to revolt against the king?'

2:20 But I gave them this answer, 'The God of heaven will give us success. We, his servants, are going to build; you have neither share nor rights nor memorial in Jerusalem.'


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 3

 

The volunteer builders

3:1 Eliashib the high priest and his brother priests set about building the Sheep Gate; they constructed its framework and set its doors, bolts and bars in place, and proceeded as far as the Tower of Hananel.

3:2 The men of Jericho built next to them; Zaccur son of Imri built next to them.

3:3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they constructed its framework and set its doors, bolts and bars in place.

3:4 Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz carried out repairs next to them; Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel carried out repairs next to him.

3:5 The men of Tekoa carried out repairs next to him, though their chiefs refused to bow their necks and work for their lords.

3:6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the gate of the new quarter: they constructed its framework and set its doors, bolts and bars in place.

3:7 Next to them repairs were carried out by Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth, and also by the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, on behalf of the governors of Transeuphrates.

3:8 Next to them repairs were carried out by Uzziel, a member of the goldsmiths' guild, and next to him repairs were carried out by Hananiah, of the perfumers' guild: they strengthened Jerusalem as far as the Wall of the Square.

3:9 Next to them repairs were carried out by Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem.

3:10 Next to them Jedaiah son of Harumaph carried out repairs opposite his own house; next to him repairs were carried out by Hattush son of Hashabneiah.

3:11 Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired the next section as far as the Tower of the Furnaces.

3:12 Next to them repairs were carried out by Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, by him and his sons.

3:13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate; they restored it, constructed its framework and set its doors, bolts and bars in place, and repaired a thousand cubits of wall up to the Dung Gate.

3:14 Malchijah son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-hac-cherem, repaired the Dung Gate, he and his sons: he set its doors, bolts and bars in place.

3:15 Shallum son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he restored it, covered it, and set its doors, bolts and bars in place. He also rebuilt the wall of the conduit cistern, adjoining the king's garden, as far as the steps coming down from the Citadel of David.

3:16 Next to him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, carried out repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, the artificial pool and the House of Heroes.

3:17 Next to him repairs were carried out by the Levites: Rehum son of Bani; next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his own district.

3:18 Next to him repairs were carried out by their brothers: Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah;

3:19 next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the slope up to the Armoury, towards the Angle.

3:20 Next to him Baruch son of Zabbai repaired another section from the Angle as far as the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

3:21 Next to him Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired another section from the door of Eliashib's house to its farther end.

3:22 Next to him repairs were carried out by the priests who lived locally in the country.

3:23 Next to them repairs were carried out by Benjamin and Hasshub, opposite their own houses. Next to them repairs were carried out by Azariah son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, beside his own house.

3:24 Next to him Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section from the house of Azariah as far as the Angle.

3:25 Next to him Palal son of Uzai carried out repairs opposite the corner of the tower jutting out over the upper palace of the king and standing in the prison courtyard. Next to him Pedaiah son of Parosh carried out repairs

3:26 as far as the Water Gate, in an easterly direction and up to a point opposite the projecting tower.

3:27 Next to him the men of Tekoa repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel.

3:28 From the Horse Gate onwards repairs were carried out by the priests, each opposite his own house.

3:29 Next to them repairs were carried out by Zadok son of Immer opposite his own house. Next to him repairs were carried out by Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, keeper of the East Gate.

3:30 Next to him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. Next to him repairs were carried out by Meshullam son of Berechiah opposite where he lived.

3:31 Next to him Malchijah, of the goldsmiths' guild, repaired as far as the quarters of the oblates and of the merchants, opposite the Watch Gate as far as the high chamber of the corner.

3:32 And between the high chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate repairs were carried out by the goldsmiths and the merchants.

 

The effect on the Jews' opponents

3:33 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the walls he flew into a rage, beside himself with anger. He ridiculed the Jews

3:34 and in front of his kinsmen and the wealthy men of Samaria he exclaimed, 'What are these pathetic Jews trying to do?... Do they expect to finish in one day? Do they think they can put new life into these charred stones, salvaged from the heaps of rubble?'

3:35 Tobiah the Ammonite was standing beside him. 'Let them build,' he said 'a jackal jumping on their wall will soon knock the stones down again.'

3:36 See, our God, how we are despised! Make their sneers fall back on their own heads. Give them over to shame in a land of exile.

3:37 Do not hide their guilt or let their sin be blotted out before you, for heaping insults on the builders.

3:38 Meanwhile we were rebuilding the wall which was soon finished all the way round to mid-height, since the people put their hearts into the work.

3:3a. Called 'the gate of Ephraim' in Ne 12:39.    b. Once the barracks of the king's bodyguard.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 4

 

4:1 When news reached Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, that repairs to the walls of Jerusalem were going forward-since the gaps were beginning to be made good-they were furious,

4:2 and conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and upset my plans.

4:3 Then we called on our God and set a watch against them, day and night, to guard the city.

4:4 Judah, however, was saying, 'The strength of the carriers is failing and the amount of rubble enormous; we shall never finish the wall'.

4:5 And our enemies were saying, 'We will appear among them before they know or see anything; then we will cut them down and put an end to the business'.

4:6 Now on ten occasions Jews who lived near them gave us warning, 'They are coming up against us from every place they live in'.

4:7 So we took up positions down behind the wall where the place was clear; I posted the people by families with their swords, spears and bows.

4:8 I had seen their fear and I stood up and addressed the authorities, the officials and the rest of the people, 'Do not be afraid of them. Keep your minds on the Lord, who is great and to be feared, and fight for your kinsmen, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your homes.'

4:9 Learning, however, that we were forewarned, and that God had thwarted their plan, our enemies withdrew, and we all went back, everyone to his work on the wall.

4:10 But from that day onwards only half of my men continued the work; the rest, with spears, shields, bows and breastplates, stood behind all the House of Judah

4:11 who were building the wall. The carriers, too, were armed so that each did his work with one hand while gripping his weapon with the other.

4:12 And as each builder worked, he wore his sword at his side. Beside me stood a trumpeter.

4:13 I addressed the authorities, the officials and the rest of the people, 'The work is important and extensive, and we are deployed along the wall at some distance from each other.

4:14 Rally round us wherever you hear the trumpet sounding, and our God will fight for us.'

4:15 So we went on with the work from break of day till the stars appeared.

4:16 Then I spoke to the people again, 'Let each man, with his servant, spend the night inside Jerusalem: in this way we can employ the night in watching and the day in working'.

4:17 But none of us, neither myself, my kinsmen, my servants, nor the members of my personal guard, ever took off our clothes; every man kept his weapon to hand.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 5

 

The social problems of Nehemiah. He vindicates his administration

5:1 The ordinary people and their wives began complaining loudly against their brother Jews.

5:2 Some said, 'We are having to barter our sons and daughters to get enough corn to eat and keep us alive'.

5:3 Others said, 'We are having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, our houses to get corn during the famine'.

5:4 Still others said, 'We have had to borrow money on our fields and our vineyards to pay the king's tax;

5:5 and though we are of the same flesh as our brothers, and our children as good as theirs, we are having to sell our sons and our daughters into slavery; some of our daughters have even been raped! We can do nothing about it, since our fields and our vineyards are now the property of others.'

5:6 When I heard their complaints and these words I was very angry.

5:7 Having turned the matter over in my mind, I reprimanded the authorities and officials. 'What a burden you impose,' I said 'every one of you on his brother!' Summoning a great assembly to deal with them,

5:8 I said to them, 'To the best of our power, we have redeemed our brother Jews who had been sold to foreigners, and now you in turn are selling our brothers for us to redeem them!' They were silent and could find nothing to say.

5:9 'What you are doing' I went on 'is wrong. Do you not want to walk in the fear of our God and escape the sneers of the nations, our enemies?

5:10 I too, my kinsmen, and my servants have lent them money and corn. Let us cancel this debt.

5:11 Return them their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses forthwith, and remit the debt on the money, corn, wine and oil which you have lent them.'

5:12 'We will make restitution,' they replied 'we will claim nothing more from them; we will do as you say.' At once I summoned the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.

5:13 Then I shook out the lap of my gown with the words, 'May God do this, and shake out of his house and property any man who does not keep this promise; may he be shaken out like this and left empty!' And the whole assembly answered, 'Amen' and gave praise to Yahweh. And the people kept this promise.

5:14 What is more, from the day the king appointed me governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen ever ate governor's bread.[*a]

5:15 Now the former governors, my predecessors, had been a burden on the people, from whom they took forty silver shekels each day as their subsistence allowance, while their servants oppressed the people too. But I, fearing God, never did this.

5:16 And furthermore I worked on this wall all the time, though I owned no land; and my servants also were all employed on the work.

5:17 Leaders and officials to the number of a hundred and fifty ate at my table, not to mention those who came to us from the surrounding nations.

5:18 Every day, one ox, six fine sheep, and poultry, were prepared at my expense; every ten days skins of wine were brought in bulk. But even so, I never claimed the governor's subsistence allowance, since the people already had burden enough to bear.

5:19 In my favour, my God, remember all I have done for this people.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 6

 

The intrigues of Nehemiah's enemies. The wall is finished

6:1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and our other enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that not a single gap was left-though at that time I had not fixed the doors to the gates-

6:2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message, 'Come and meet us at Hac-chepirim in the Vale of Ono'. Now they intended some harm to me.

6:3 So I sent messengers to them to say, 'I am engaged in a great undertaking and so cannot come down. The work would come to a halt if I left it to come down to you.'

6:4 Four times they sent me the same invitation and I made them the same reply.

6:5 The fifth time, with the same purpose in mind, Sanballat sent me his servant bearing an open letter.

6:6 It ran, 'There is a rumour among the nations, so Gashmu[*a] says, that you and the Jews are thinking of rebelling, which is why you are building the wall; that you yourself are to become their king;

6:7 that you have even briefed prophets in your own interest in Jerusalem to proclaim: "Judah has a king". These rumours will soon be reaching the king; so you had better come and talk things over with us.'

6:8 To this, however, I replied, 'As regards what you say, nothing of the sort has occurred; it is a figment of your own imagination'.

6:9 For they were trying to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will tire of the work, and it will never be finished'. But I meanwhile was making my hands even stronger.

6:10 I had been to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, since he was prevented from coming to me. He said: 'Let us meet at the Temple of God, in the innermost part of the sanctuary; let us shut the sanctuary doors, for they are coming to kill you, they are coming to kill you tonight'.

6:11 But I retorted, 'Is a man like me to run away? A man in my position to go into the sanctuary to save his life? I will not go.'

6:12 I realised that God had not sent him to say this, but that he had pronounced this oracle over me because Tobiah was paying him

6:13 to frighten me into doing this, and so committing a sin as a result of which they would have been able to blacken my reputation and ridicule me.

6:14 Remember Tobiah, my God, for what he has done; and Noadiah the prophetess, and the other prophets who tried to frighten me.

6:15 The wall was finished within fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.[*b]

6:16 When all our enemies heard about it, and all the surrounding nations had seen it, they were deeply impressed and acknowledged that this work had been accomplished by the power of our God.

6:17 During this same period several of the authorities of Judah kept sending letter after letter to Tobiah, and letters from Tobiah kept arriving for them;

6:18 for he had many sworn to his interest in Judah, since he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

6:19 They even cried up his good deeds in my presence, and they reported what I said back to him. And Tobiah kept on sending letters to frighten me.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 7

 

7:1 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, keepers were appointed for the gates (besides cantors and Levites).

7:2 I entrusted the administration of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and to Hananiah the commander of the citadel, for he was a trustworthy man and God-fearing above the ordinary.

7:3 I said to them, 'The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened until the sun gets hot; and you are to shut and bar the doors while it is still high; and detail guard pickets from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some for the lookout posts, and others for duty outside their own houses'.

 

The repopulation of Jerusalem

7:4 The city was large and spacious but the population was small, and no new families were growing up.

7:5 My God therefore inspired me to assemble the authorities, the officials and the people for the purpose of taking a census by families. I discovered the genealogical register of those who had returned in the first group, and there I found entered:

 

A list of the first exiles to return

7:6 These are the people of the province who returned from captivity and exile. After being deported by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, they returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his own town.

7:7 They arrived with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

7:8 sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;

7:9 sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;

7:10 sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;

7:11 sons of Pahath-moab, that is to say sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;

7:12 sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;

7:13 sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;

7:14 sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;

7:15 sons of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;

7:16 sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;

7:17 sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;

7:18 sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;

7:19 sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;

7:20 sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;

7:21 sons of Ater, that is to say of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;

7:22 sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;

7:23 sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;

7:24 sons of Hariph, one hundred and twelve;

7:25 men of Gibeon, ninety-five;

7:26 men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;

7:27 men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;

7:28 men of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two;

7:29 men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;

7:30 men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;

7:31 men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;

7:32 men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;

7:33 men of Nebo, fifty-two;

7:34 sons of another Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;

7:35 sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;

7:36 men of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;

7:37 men of Lod, Hadid and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;

7:38 sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

7:39 The priests: sons of Jedaiah, that is to say the House of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;

7:40 sons of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two;

7:41 sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;

7:42 sons of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.

7:43 The Levites: sons of Jeshua, that is to say of Kadmiel, Binnui, Hodiah, seventy-four.

7:44 The cantors: sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.

7:45 The gatekeepers: sons of Shallum, sons of Ater, sons of Talmon, sons of Akkub, sons of Hatita, sons of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-eight.

7:46 The oblates: sons of Ziha, sons of Hasupha, sons of Tabbaoth,

7:47 sons of Keros, sons of Sia, sons of Padon,

7:48 sons of Lebana, sons of Hagaba, sons of Shalmai,

7:49 sons of Hanan, sons of Giddel, sons of Gahar,

7:50 sons of Reaiah, sons of Rezin, sons of Nekoda,

7:51 sons of Gazzam, sons of Uzza, sons of Paseah,

7:52 sons of Besai, sons of the Meunites, sons of the Nephusites,

7:53 sons of Bakbuk, sons of Hakupha, sons of Harhur,

7:54 sons of Bazlith, sons of Mehida, sons of Harsha,

7:55 sons of Barkos, sons of Sisera, sons of Temah,

7:56 sons of Neziah, sons of Hatipha.

7:57 The sons of Solomon's slaves: sons of Sotai, sons of Sophereth, sons of Perida,

7:58 sons of Jaala, sons of Darkon, sons of Giddel,

7:59 sons of Shephatiah, sons of Hattil, sons of Pochereth-haz-zebaim, sons of Amon.

7:60 The total of the oblates and the sons of Solomon's slaves: three hundred and ninety-two.

7:61 The following, who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer, could not prove that their families and ancestry were of Israelite origin:

7:62 sons of Delaiah, sons of Tobiah, sons of Nekoda: six hundred and forty-two.

7:63 And among the priests: sons of Hobaiah, sons of Hakkoz, sons of Barzillai-who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, whose name he adopted.

7:64 These people searched in their ancestral registers but could not be located in them, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean,

7:65 and His Excellency forbade them to eat the sacred foods until a priest could be found for the Urim and Thummim.

7:66 The whole assembly numbered forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty people,

7:67 not counting their slaves and maidservants to the number of seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven. They also had two hundred and forty-five male and female singers.

7:68 They had (seven hundred and thirty-six horses, two hundred and forty-five mules) four hundred and thirty-five camels and six thousand seven hundred and twenty donkeys.

7:69 A certain number of heads of families gave offerings for the building. His Excellency contributed one thousand gold drachmas, fifty bowls, thirty priestly robes and five hundred (silver minas) to the fund.

7:70 And heads of families gave twenty thousand gold drachmas and two thousand two hundred silver minas to the building fund.

7:71 The gifts made by the rest of the people amounted to twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly robes.

7:72a The priests, Levites and part of the people settled in Jerusalem; the gatekeepers, cantors, oblates and all the other Israelites, in their own towns.

 

Judaism is born. Ezra reads the Law. The feast of Tabernacles

7:72b When the seventh month came,


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 8

 

8:1 all the people gathered as one man on the square before the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which Yahweh had prescribed for Israel.

8:2 Accordingly Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, consisting of men, women, and children old enough to understand. This was the first day of the seventh month.

8:3 On the square before the Water Gate, in the presence of the men and women, and children old enough to understand, he read from the book from early morning till noon; all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

8:4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden dais erected for the purpose; beside him stood, on his right, Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; on his left, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

8:5 In full view of all the people-since he stood higher than all the people-Ezra opened the book; and when he opened it all the people stood up.

8:6 Then Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God, and all the people raised their hands and answered, 'Amen! Amen!'; then they bowed down and, face to the ground, prostrated themselves before Yahweh.

8:7 (Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabab, Hanan, Pelaiah, who were Levites, explained the Law to the people while the people remained standing.)

8:8 And Ezra read from the Law of God, translating and giving the sense, so that the people understood what was read.

8:9 Then (Nehemiah-His Excellency-and) Ezra, priest and scribe (and the Levites who were instructing the people) said to all the people, 'This day is sacred to Yahweh your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep.' For the people were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law.

8:10 He then said, 'Go, eat the fat, drink the sweet wine, and send a portion to the man who has nothing prepared ready. For this day is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad: the joy of Yahweh is your stronghold.'

8:11 And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, 'Be at ease; this is a sacred day. Do not be sad.'

8:12 And all the people went off to eat and drink and give shares away and begin to enjoy themselves since they had understood the meaning of what had been proclaimed to them.

8:13 On the second day the heads of families of the whole people, and the priests and Levites, gathered round Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law.

8:14 And written in the Law that Yahweh had prescribed through Moses they found this, 'The sons of Israel are to live in shelters during the feast of the seventh month'.

8:15 As soon as they heard this, they issued a proclamation in all their towns and in Jerusalem: 'Go into the hills and bring branches of olive, pine, myrtle, palm and other leafy trees to make shelters, as it says in the book'.

8:16 The people went; they brought back branches and made themselves shelters, each man on his own roof, in their courtyards, in the precincts of the Temple of God, on the square of the Water Gate and the square of the Gate of Ephraim.

8:17 The whole assembly, all who had returned from captivity, put up shelters and lived in them; the sons of Israel had never done such a thing from the days of Joshua son of Nun till the present.[*a] And there was great merrymaking.

8:18 Each day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days; on the eighth day, as prescribed, there was a solemn assembly.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 9

 

The ceremony of atonement

9:1 On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites, in sackcloth and with dust on their heads, assembled for a fast.

9:2 Those of Israelite stock separated themselves from all those of foreign origin; they stood confessing their sins and the transgressions of their ancestors.

9:3 (Standing, each man in his right position, they read from the Book of the Law of Yahweh their God for one quarter of the day; for another quarter they confessed their sins and prostrated themselves before Yahweh their God.)[*a]

9:4 (On the Levites' platform stood Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani, calling loudly to Yahweh their God;

9:5 and the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah said, 'Arise and bless Yahweh our God'.) Blessed be you, Yahweh our God, from everlasting to everlasting. And blessed be your name of glory that surpasses all blessing and praise.

9:6 Yahweh, you are the only one. You made the heavens, the heaven of heavens, with all their array, the earth and all it bears, the seas and all they hold. To all of these you give life and the array of the heavens bows down before you.

9:7 Yahweh, you are the God who chose Abram, brought him out from Ur in Chaldaea, and gave him the name of Abraham.

9:8 Finding him faithful of heart before you, you made a covenant with him, to give him the land of the Canaanite, of the Hittite and Amorite, of the Perizzite, Jebusite, Girgashite, to him and his posterity. And you kept your promise because you are just.

9:9 You saw the distress of our fathers in Egypt, you heard their cry by the Sea of Reeds.

9:10 You worked portents and miracles against Pharaoh, against his servants and all the people of his land; for you knew how they treated them with arrogance. You won a reputation which you keep to this day.

9:11 You divided the sea in front of them: they passed through the deep sea dry-shod. Into the depths you hurled their pursuers like a stone into rushing waters.

9:12 With a pillar of cloud you led them by day, with a pillar of fire by night: to light the way ahead of them by which they should go.

9:13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven; you gave them ordinances that are just, laws that are sure, good statutes and commandments;

9:14 you taught them to know your holy sabbath, laid down for them commandments (statutes) and Law through Moses your servant.

9:15 For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven, for their thirst you brought them water spurting from the rock. You bade them go in and take possession of the land that you had sworn to give to them.

9:16 But our fathers grew proud, were obstinate, and flouted your commands.

9:17 They refused to obey, forgetful of the wonders that you had worked for them; they became obstinate, they even thought of going back to Egypt and their slavery. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and loving, slow to anger, abounding in goodness, you did not forsake them.

9:18 When they cast themselves a calf out of molten metal and said, 'This is your God who brought you up from Egypt' (and were guilty of grave blasphemies),

9:19 you, so greatly loving, still did not forsake them in the wilderness: the pillar of cloud did not leave them that led them on their path by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, to light the way ahead of them by which they should go.

9:20 You gave them your good spirit to make them wise, you did not withhold your manna from their mouths, you gave them water for their thirst.

9:21 Forty years you cared for them in the wilderness: they went short of nothing, their clothes did not wear out, their feet were not swollen.

9:22 You gave to them kingdoms and peoples, allotted them these as frontier regions; they occupied the land of Sihon king of Heshbon, and of Og king of Bashan.

9:23 You multiplied their sons as the stars of heaven and led them to the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess.

9:24 The sons invaded and conquered the land, and before them you humbled the land's inhabitants, the Canaanites, whom you gave into their hands; with their kings and the population of that country, to be treated just as they pleased;

9:25 they captured fortified towns and a fertile countryside, took possession of houses stocked with all kinds of goods, of cisterns ready-hewn, of vineyards and olive groves, of fruit trees in profusion; they ate, ate their fill, regaling themselves on the good things you lavished on them.

9:26 But, disobedient as they were and rebellious towards you, they thrust the Law behind their backs, they killed the prophets who admonished them to bring them back to you (and were guilty of grave blasphemies).

9:27 So you delivered them into the hands of their oppressors who oppressed them. In the days of their oppression they cried to you, and from heaven you heard them and, greatly loving, you granted them saviours who freed them from the hands of their oppressors.

9:28 But, once at peace, again they did wrong before you and you gave them over to the hands of their enemies who treated them tyrannically. And once more they cried to you and from heaven you heard them: how often are you, so loving, to deliver them?

9:29 You admonished them to bring them back to your Law; but they grew proud, they did not obey your commandments, they sinned against your ordinances in which a man finds life if he observes them; they shrugged their shoulders, they were obstinate, they would not obey.

9:30 You were patient with them for many years; you admonished them by your spirit through your prophets, but they would not listen. You delivered them then into the hands of the natives of the countries.

9:31 But, greatly loving, you did not make an end of them, you did not forsake them, for you are a gracious and a loving God.

9:32 Now therefore, our God, great and mighty God who must be feared, maintaining your covenant and your kindness, count as no small thing this misery that has happened to us, our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, and all your people from the time of the kings of Assyria to the present day.

9:33 You have been just in all that has happened to us, for you have shown your faithfulness, we our wickedness:

9:34 our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept your Law, they have been unmindful of your commandments and the warnings that you gave them.

9:35 While they were in their kingdom with the good things you lavished on them, in the wide and fertile land that you had set before them, they did not renounce their evil deeds.

9:36 Here are we now, enslaved; here in the land you gave our fathers to enjoy its fruits and its good things, we are slaves.

9:37 Its rich fruits swell the profit of the kings whom for our sins you have set over us, who dispose as they please of our bodies and our cattle. Such the distress we endure!


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 10

 

A record of the promises made by the community[*a]

10:1 ...As a result of all this we make a firm agreement, in writing. Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests have put their names to the document under seal...

10:2 On the sealed document were the names of: Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

10:3 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

10:4 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

10:5 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

10:6 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

10:7 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

10:8 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

10:9 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these are the priests.

10:10 Then the Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

10:11 and their kinsmen Shebaniah, Hodaviah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

10:12 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

10:13 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

10:14 Hodiah, Bani, Chenani.

10:15 The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

10:16 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

10:17 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

10:18 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

10:19 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

10:20 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

10:21 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

10:22 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

10:23 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

10:24 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

10:25 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

10:26 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

10:27 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

10:28 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

10:29 ...but also the rest of the people, priests and Levites-gatekeepers, cantors, oblates-in short, all who have broken with the natives of the countries to adhere to the Law of God; as also their wives, sons and daughters, all those who are old enough to understand,

10:30 join with their kinsmen and leaders and undertake, under curse and oath, to walk according to the Law of God given through Moses, the servant of God, and to observe and practise all the commandments of Yahweh our Lord, his customs and his laws.

10:31 In particular: we will not give our daughters to the natives of the land nor take their daughters for our sons.

10:32 If the natives of the land bring goods or any foodstuff whatever to sell on the sabbath day, we will buy nothing from them on sabbath or holy day. We will forego the fruits of the soil in the seventh year, and all debts.

10:33 We recognise the following obligations: to give one third of a shekel yearly for the liturgical requirements of the Temple of our God:

10:34 for the loaves set out, for the perpetual oblation, for the perpetual holocaust, for the sacrifices on sabbaths, on New Moon feasts and on solemnities, for sacred foods, for sacrifices for sin to atone for Israel; in short, for all the services of the Temple of our God;

10:36 and further, to bring yearly to the Temple of our God the first-fruits of our soil and the first-fruits of every fruit of every tree,

10:37 also the first-born of our sons and of our cattle, as is written in the Law-those first-born of our herds and flocks taken to the Temple of our God being intended for the priests officiating in the Temple of our God.

10:38 Furthermore, we will bring to the priests, to the chambers of the Temple of our God, the best of our meal, the fruit of every tree, new wine and oil; and to the Levites the tithe on our soil-the Levites themselves will collect the tithes from all our agricultural towns;

10:39 a priest, a son of Aaron, is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tithes, and the Levites will pay a tenth part of the tithes into the Temple of our God, into the treasury offices;

10:40ab since these rooms are where the Israelites and the Levites bring the contributions of corn, wine and oil, and where the supplies are kept for the sanctuary, the officiating priests, the gatekeepers and cantors.

10:35 Furthermore, as regards deliveries of wood for burning on the altar of our God as is written in the Law, we have arranged, by drawing lots among the priests, Levites and people, that these deliveries are to be made at the Temple of our God by each family in turn at stated times every year.

10:40c We will no longer neglect the Temple of our God.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 11

 

The repopulation policy of Nehemiah. Various lists

11:1 ...Then the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people drew lots: one man in ten was to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their towns.

11:2 And the people blessed all those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

11:3 These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem-and those who settled in the towns of Judah. So Israel, the priests, the Levites, the oblates and the sons of Solomon's slaves, made their homes in their appropriate towns, each man on his own property.

 

The Jewish population in Jerusalem

11:4 In Jerusalem there lived some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin. Of the sons of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mehalalel, of the descendants of Perez;

11:5 Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, descendant of Shelah.

11:6 The total number of the descendants of Perez living in Jerusalem was four hundred and sixty-eight adult men.

11:7 These are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah,

11:8 and his kinsmen, adult men: nine hundred and twenty-eight.

11:9 Joel son of Zichri was in charge of them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command of the city.

11:10 Of the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiakim, son of

11:11 Seraiah, son of Hilkiah,  son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, prefect of the Temple of God,

11:12 and his kinsmen who were responsible for the Temple liturgy: eight hundred and twenty-two; Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah,

11:13 and his kinsmen, heads of families: two hundred and forty-two; and Amashai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer,

11:14 and his kinsmen, adult men: one hundred and twenty-eight. Zabdiel son of Haggadol was in charge of them.

11:15 Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;

11:16 Shabbethai and Jozabad, the levitical leaders responsible for the outside work of the Temple of God;

11:17 Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who directed the hymns and, at prayer, intoned the thanksgiving; Bakbukiah, the second in rank among his kinsmen; Obadiah son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.

11:18 The total number of Levites in the holy city: two hundred and eighty-four.

11:19 The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their kinsmen, who kept watch at the gates: one hundred and seventy-two.

 

Supplementary notes

11:21 The oblates lived at Ophel; Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the oblates.

11:22 The head of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica; he belonged to the sons of Asaph who were responsible for the chanted parts of the liturgy in the Temple of God;

11:23 there was a royal decree relating to the cantors, embodying regulations for their attendance day by day.

11:24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, belonging to the sons of Zerah son of Judah, was the king's commissioner for all such matters as concerned the people.

11:20 The rest of the Israelites, priests and Levites made their homes throughout the towns of Judah, each man in his own inheritance,

11:25 and in the hamlets situated in rural districts of their own.

 

The Jewish population outside Jerusalem

Some of the sons of Judah made their homes in Kiriath-arba and its outlying villages, in Dibon and its outlying villages, in Jekabzeel and its outlying hamlets,

11:26 in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-pelet,

11:27 Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its villages,

11:28 in Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages,

11:29 in Enrimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,

11:30 Zanoah, Adullam and their hamlets, Lachish and its countryside, Azekah and its villages: thus, they settled from Beersheba as far as the Valley of Hinnom.

11:31 Some of the sons of Benjamin made their homes in Geba, Michmash, Aija, in Bethel and its villages,

11:32 Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

11:33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

11:34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

11:35 Lod and Ono, and the Valley of the Craftsmen.

11:36 Some groups of Levites settled in Judah as well as in Benjamin.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 12

 

Priests and Levites who returned under Zerubbabel and Jeshua

12:1 These are the priests and the Levites who came back with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua:

Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

12:2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

12:3 Shecaniah, Harim, Meremoth,

12:4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

12:5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

12:6 Shemaiah; also: Joiarib, Jedaiah,

12:7a Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah.

12:8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah-this last, with his kinsmen, directed the hymns of thanksgiving

12:9 while Bakbukiah, Unno and their kinsmen in their respective orders formed an alternate choir.

12:7b These were the heads of the priests and of their kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

 

Genealogical list of high priests

12:10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim father of Eliashib, Eliashib father of Joiada,

12:11 Joiada father of Johanan, and Johanan father of Jaddua.

 

Priests and Levites in the time of the High Priest Joiakim

12:12 In the days of Joiakim the heads of the priestly families were: family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

12:13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

12:14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

12:15 of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth, Helkai;

12:16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

12:17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, ...; of Moadiah, Piltai;

12:18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

12:19 also: of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

12:20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

12:21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

12:22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, the heads of the priestly families had been recorded in the Book of the Chronicles[*a] up to the reign of Darius the Persian.

12:23 The sons of Levi. The heads of families were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles, but only up to the time of Johanan, grandson of Eliashib.

12:24 The heads of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel; and their kinsmen forming an alternate choir for the hymns of praise and thanksgiving, in accordance with the ordinances of David the man of God, in corresponding groups,

12:25 these were: Mattaniah, Bakbukiah and Obadiah. The gatekeepers, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub stood guard at the storehouses near the gates.

12:26 These lived in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, priest and scribe.

 

The dedication of the wall of Jerusalem

12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem the Levites were sent for, wherever they lived, to come to Jerusalem: the dedication was to be celebrated joyfully with songs of thanksgiving, with cymbal, lute and lyre.

12:28 Accordingly the cantors, sons of Levi, assembled from the countryside round Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,

12:29 from Beth-gilgal, from the districts of Geba and Azmaveth; since the cantors had built themselves villages all round Jerusalem.

12:30 And the priests and Levites purified themselves, then purified the people, the gates and the wall.

12:31 I then made the leaders of Judah come on to the top of the wall, and organized two great choirs. The first made its way along the top of the wall, right-handed, towards the Dung Gate;

12:32 bringing up the rear were Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah,

12:33 and also Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

12:34 Judah, Mijamin, Shemaiah and Jeremiah,

12:35 selected from the priests and carrying trumpets; then Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,

12:36 with his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, Hanani, carrying the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe walked at their head.

12:37 At the Fountain Gate they went straight on up, near the steps of the Citadel of David, along the top of the wall and along the ascent of the Palace of David as far as the Water Gate, on the east.

12:38 The second choir made its way left-handed; I followed it, with half the leaders of the people, along the top of the wall, above the Tower of the Furnaces and as far as the wall of the Square,

12:39 then over the Gate of Ephraim, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, as far as the Sheep Gate; they came to a halt at the Watch Gate.

12:40 The two choirs then took their places in the Temple of God. I had half of the officials with me,

12:41 as well as the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah, carrying trumpets,

12:42 also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. The cantors sang under the direction of Jezrahiah.

12:43 There were great sacrifices offered that day and the people rejoiced, God having given them good cause for rejoicing; the women and children rejoiced too, and the joy of Jerusalem could be heard from far away.

 

A golden age

12:44 For the chambers intended for the stores, contributions, first-fruits and tithes, supervisors were then appointed whose business it would be to collect in them those portions from the town lands awarded by the Law to the priests and Levites. For Judah rejoiced in the officiating priests and Levites.

12:45 lt was they who performed the liturgy of their God and the duties of purification-and the cantors and gatekeepers too-in accordance with the ordinances of David and his son Solomon.

12:46 For from ancient times, from the days of David and Asaph, there had been guilds of cantors and canticles of praise and thanksgiving to God.

12:47 And so, in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, the whole of Israel used to give the cantors and gatekeepers their due portion for each day. They set aside for the Levites their sacred dues, and the Levites would set theirs aside for the sons of Aaron.


JB NEHEMIAH Chapter 13

 

13:1 At that time they were reading from the Book of Moses to the people, when they found this written in it, 'The Ammonite and the Moabite shall never be admitted to the assembly of God,

13:2 since they did not come to meet the sons of Israel with bread and water. They hired Balaam against them to curse them,[*a] but our God turned the curse into a blessing.'

13:3 As soon as the people had heard the Law they excluded all of foreign descent from Israel.

 

The second mission of Nehemiah

13:4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest had been appointed supervisor of the chambers of the Temple of our God. A connection of Tobiah's,

13:5 he had furnished a spacious chamber for him where the oblations, incense, utensils, tithes of corn, wine and oil had previously been kept, that is to say the portions of the Levites, cantors and gatekeepers, and what was set aside for the priests.

13:6 While all this was going on I was away from Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon [*b] I had gone to see the king. But after some time I asked the king for permission to leave,

13:7 and returned to Jerusalem. It was then that I heard the wicked thing that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, furnishing a chamber for him inside the court of the Temple of God.

13:8 This made me very angry. I threw all Tobiah's household furniture out of the chamber,

13:9 gave orders for the chambers to be purified, and had the utensils of the Temple of God, the oblations and the incense, all put back.

13:10 I also discovered that the portions of the Levites were not being delivered and that they, the Levites and the cantors responsible for the liturgy, had all gone off home to their fields.

13:11 I reprimanded the officials. 'Why is the Temple of God deserted?' I asked. And I collected them together again and sent them back to their duties.

13:12 Then the whole of Judah brought the tithe of corn, wine and oil to the storehouses.

13:13 As supervisors of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Pedaiah one of the Levites and, as their assistants, Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, since they were considered reliable; their duty was to make the distributions to their kinsmen.

13:14 Remember me for this, my God; do not blot out the pious deed I have done for the Temple of my God and for its liturgy.

13:15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the sabbath, and others taking sheaves of corn and loading them on donkeys with wine, grapes, figs and every kind of load which they meant to bring into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. I warned them not to sell the foodstuffs.

13:16 In Jerusalem itself, Tyrians who lived in the city were bringing in fish and every sort of merchandise to sell them on the sabbath day.

13:17 I reprimanded the authorities of Judah, 'What a wicked way to behave, profaning the sabbath day!

13:18 Did not your ancestors do just this, with the result that our God brought all this misery on us and on this city? Do you want to bring fresh wrath on Israel, by profaning the sabbath?'

13:19 So just before the sabbath[*c] as the shadows were falling on the gates of Jerusalem, I gave orders for the doors to be shut, and said, 'Do not open them again until the sabbath is over'. I stationed a few of my servants at the gates to see that no load was brought in on the sabbath day.

13:20 Once or twice merchants and traders in goods of all kinds spent the night outside Jerusalem,

13:21 but I gave them this warning, 'Why are you spending the night by the wall? Do it again, and I will punish you.' After that, they did not come on the sabbath any more.

13:22 I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and to come and supervise the gates, so that the sabbath day might be kept holy. For this too remember me, my God, and as your mercy is great, so pity me.

13:23 At that time I again saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.

13:24 As regards their children, half of them spoke the language of Ashdod[*d] or the language of one of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

13:25 I reprimanded them and called down curses on them; I struck several of them and tore out their hair and made them swear by God, 'You shall not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters either for your sons or for yourselves.

13:26 Is this not how Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among all the nations there was never a king like him; he was loved by his God; God made him king of all Israel; and yet for him, foreign women were causes of sin.

13:27 Must we then hear it said that you too are committing this grave crime: playing traitor to our God by marrying foreign women?'

13:28 One of the sons of Jehoiada, son of the high priest Eliashib, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, and I expelled him from my presence.

13:29 Remember these, O my God, for the degradation they have brought on the priesthood and on the covenant of the priests and Levites.

13:30 And so I purged them of everything foreign; I drew up regulations for the priests and Levites defining each man's duty,

13:31 and regulations for the deliveries of wood at stated times, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, my God, for my happiness.

 

END OF JB NEHEMIAH [13 Chapters].